Because It Was You
by Kiss-Like-Real-People-Do
Summary: He knew one thing for sure about Selina. She puts her own safety above anyone else. It had always been that way and it always would. So then why was she here. Set the night after Selina saves Bruce from Galavan because I refuse to admit her coming to rescue him would be something Bruce lets go of easily.
1. Chapter 1

He had accepted that he was going to die; knew it even before he saw the glint of the sacrificial knife, and not even Silver's cry would convince him otherwise.

Then they had appeared, with the bang of a door and a shower of bullets. He craned his neck, desperate to see who had come to his rescue but could only make out Gordon to his left and a brief glimpse of what looked like Penguin beside him. That meant that the others where likely Penguin's men. Cops and gangsters teaming up wasn't exactly the most moral thing, but this was Gotham, and he would take what he could get.

It wasn't until the fight had ended, when Alfred had run to his side and he felt her fingers brush against his hand as she worked at the knot binding his wrists that he had realized she was there. Her small fingers weren't soft or delicate, years on the street had made such a thing impossible, but they were quick and nimble as they expertly untied the knot. It was her. It didn't make sense, but it was her.

He wanted to look back, to see her with his own eyes, but the second his hands were free Alfred's arms were wrapped tightly around him, and he was returning the man's embrace just as fiercely. It was only after Bruce had finally stepped back that he was able to chance a glance at Selina. She had moved back a bit to give them space, but her green eyes had remained fixed on him. Her breathing was still labored from the fight but she was smirking as she gave him a once over. "Nice dress."

He smiled back.

On the way back to the car, he had fully anticipated Alfred's lecture and Selina gloating had been a given. What he hadn't been expecting was the two of them agreeing. It was unsettling hearing them chatting beside him so easily, as if they were friend, as if them working together had been normal. Once again, he was left wondering what exactly had happened while he had been held captive at Galavan's for Selina to have been there.

He snuck a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. For the hundredth time that night, he ignored the impulse to reach for her even as his fingers twitched by his side. He needed to reassure himself she was there, need to know that she wasn't some figure of his imagination.

He wanted to kiss her.

Instead he brushed off her and Alfred's concern, and pushed forward past them towards the car. He opened the door, taking a step back to hold it open for Selina, but by the time he had turned around she had already disappeared among the commotion around them. He tried not to let his disappointment show.

"Don't fret Master Bruce." Alfred said saddling up beside him, as perceptive as always. "I have a feeling we'll be seeing Mrs. Kyle soon."

Bruce nodded but the weight against his chest pressed against him the entire way back.

He had only just gotten her back and already he'd lost her again.

Back at the mansion, Bruce had immediately been shuffled off to his room to shower while Alfred busied himself by making tea. He didn't protest.

Instead, he let himself linger in the shower for longer than usual, trying to wash away any trace of the day; the lingering scent of the cell, the feel of the cloth robe against his skin, the taste of his kiss with Silver. Paying special attention to where the monks had blessed him, he scrubbed his forehead long past when any trace of the water was gone. Only once his skin was raw and the scalding water had gone cold did he shut off the tap.

Back in his room, the sacrificial gown he had been wearing was gone, replaced with a neatly folded set of his clothes. Knowing Alfred, it was likely burning away in one of the manor's numerous fireplaces. He dressed quickly.

Two sharp knocks sounded against the door just as he was pulling his shirt over his head. "Master Bruce you have a visitor waiting for you in the study."

He hadn't expected it to be Selina. She was more one for windows than doors, but even the possibility that it was her had hit him with a longing to see her stronger than he anticipated.  
Still the sight of Gordon was reassuring.

Detective Gordon was standing in the center of the room, pacing when Bruce entered the study. He looked worse than he had hours before, like the weight of something new was suffocating him. Bruce wanted to ask what had happened, but something about the detective's demeanor had stopped him.

"Bruce" Gordon said, his eyes lighting up fractionally at the sight of him. "I'm sorry I had to leave earlier I .." He paused to rub the back of his neck. "I had to take care of something, but I wanted to stop by. Make sure you were alright."

Bruce smiled. "I am because of you. Thank you."

His stance softened. "That's not something you have to thank me for Bruce. I'm just sorry that we hadn't been able to get to you sooner."

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "We … you mean you and Penguin."

A pained look crossed Gordon's face but he nodded. "Galavan killed Oswald's mother. The two of us were already planning on taking him down when Alfred came to us. "

"Selina was with you."

It wasn't a question but Gordon nodded his head anyway. "She was the one who showed us the way in."

"How did you find her?"

"We didn't. She found us." Gordon said carefully. "We were coming up with a plan when she showed up on the window ledge. Alfred was hesitant about her joining at first but I trusted her."

"Why," Bruce asked.

He knew Gordon more than anyone else had reason to be wary of her. Unfortunately for Gordon, Selina's self-preservation instincts along with her general distrust for cops usually meant things between the two ended far from being in the detective's favor. As much as he trusted Selina, he wasn't naïve enough to think that Gordon should do the same.  
Gordon shrugged. "Because you were the one we were saving."

Slowly, Bruce made his way over to the nearby couch and sat down. "What difference does that make."

Gordon gave him an odd look, before with a sigh he sat down in the chair opposite of him.

"A while back," he started, "I was hunting down a couple of arsonists that were targeting Wayne enterprise buildings. Our investigation lead us to a robbery of some sleazy human trafficking auction committed by the same suspect. We caught Selina on tape with her; they were working together.

"Selina was the one burning down Wayne enterprise buildings?" Even as Bruce said it, it sounded wrong. Fires weren't Selina's style; she slipped in and out without a trace. A fire would be proof that she had been there he reasoned, ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his head reminding him of the real reason. Selina wouldn't be targeting Wayne buildings if it put him and his investigation at risk.

"No turns out her friend, Bridget, was being forced to do it by her brothers, a couple of firebugs Joe and Cale Pike," Gordon said. "Selina was helping her get money to get out of town, but Bridget's brothers caught up with them and kidnapped Bridget before she could. By the time I caught up with her, she was armed with a shotgun about to charge into the home of two expert arsonists to save her friend. It was a suicide mission, and she didn't even hesitate." He chuckled at the memory. "Nearly blew my head off in her haste to get to Bridget."

"Wait Bridget?" Bruce's eyebrows furrowed. "The one with the fire suit."

He remembered that week when Alfred had mentioned the fires. It was around the same time that he had been with Silver. Selina had tried telling him something about her friend and a fire suit but he had blown her off he remembered with a pang of guilt. "What's your point?"

"Selina protects herself above all and yet she was willing to go after two arsonists with nothing but a shotgun. For her to risk her life like that, it would have to be for something she considers to be a big part of that life." Gordon looked pointedly at Bruce. "For someone she cared about enough that losing them would feel like she was losing a part of herself."

Bruce felt his face heat up at Gordons implication. "It's.. It's not like that with us. Selina she… the way she acts sometimes," he looked away, "sometimes I wonder if she even considers us friends."

Gordon gave him a knowing smile. "And when I asked Selina why she was putting herself in danger, she called Bridget just another girl in the neighborhood."

With both hands on his knees he pushed himself up out of his chair. "Just something to think about. In the meantime, go get some sleep and try to give Alfred a night of peace before getting into any more trouble."

Bruce absentmindedly nodded his head, his mind still trying to process Gordon's words. He tried to think back to when Selina had told him about her friend. She hadn't seemed particularly upset, annoyed maybe.

But if what Gordon was saying about him and Bridget was true...

"Gordon"

"Yeah." He paused at the door's threshold.

"What happened to Bridget?"

If he didn't know before the look of sympathy that crossed Gordon's face was confirmation enough. "She didn't make it."

Swallowing down the lump of guilt in his throat, he nodded. "I appreciate you saving my life, but in the future please refrain from allowing Selina to join," he said firmly. "I don't want her to get hurt."

Gordon chuckled. "Yeah sure. Because I'll be able to stop her." Giving Bruce an amused look, he headed for the door. "Take care Bruce."


	2. Chapter 2

He thought about going back to his room, listening to Gordon's advice and trying to get some sleep for once. Instead his feet carried him to the study. He had almost died, without ever getting to the bottom of his parents' murder. Now with Galavan gone and his parents' murderer's name in his head, he needed to be working on his investigation more than ever. He needed to focus. He needed…..

A small click echoed on the far side of the room and any thought of his files vanished from his head. The sound should have scared him or at least given him some level of concern, especially after what had happened. Instead he felt a wave of relief washed over him.

"You can come in you know." He tried to make his voice sound as even as possible. His back was still turned to her, but he heard the slight creak as the window opened further. He turned around to find her perched on one of the smaller window ledges. "It would have been faster if you had just ridden here with us here."

Selina shrugged, jumping down. "Had somethings I needed to take care of first." Her gaze briefly flashed to his investigation board behind him before she plopped down on the nearby couch. "Besides not like you'd be sleeping or anything."

"You left before I had the chance to thank you." Cautiously, he took a step towards her as if worried any sudden movement may scare her away. "Alfred told me you were the one who got everyone into the building."

Without looking at him, she picked up one of the metal paperweights from the table, lazily tossing it back and forth between her hands. "Don't thank me. Gordon was the one who tracked me down."

Bruce's eyebrows shot up. "Gordon came to you?"

"Yep pulled the whole cop routine on me." She let the trinket fall forgotten once more against the coffee table. "Figured it was in my best interest to get you out. If you died he might have never stopped bugging me. Didn't want that."

Shrugging, she propped her feet up on the coffee table and raised her hands behind her head, making herself comfortable. She would have looked the picture of nonchalance had the movement of her arms not brought her shirt up to reveal a sliver of the skin of her stomach. Her black shirt had camouflaged the blood stain well, but against her skin the smear of red above her jeans was unmistakable.

Bruce's eyes widened. "Selina you're bleeding."

She looked down, her eyes following his. Instantly, her relaxed demeanor disappeared and her body tensed, revealing the same alerted state he was sure she was always in.

"It's nothing." Hastily she pulled her shirt down. "One of Galavan's psycho monks just nicked me," she said waving him off but he was already by her side, crouching down to get a better look.

She thought about stopping him but there was something about the determined look in his eyes that had her pausing. Instead, she let him slowly peel her shirt up.

It was worse than he expected. A cut stretched from the center of her stomach to the upper corner of her side, just below her ribs. It was red and irritated. A few sloppy stiches followed the length of it in what he assumed had been her first attempt at stitching it up. He felt her flinch as his hand gently pressed against the tender skin surrounding the cut.

"So when you said you had something to take care of," he said, his fingers tracing the path of the cut, "you were referring to the giant gash on the side of your stomach."

She gave him a tight smirk. "I also had to feed my cats."

He shook his head not even bothering to try and argue with her further and focused his attention back on her wound. His fingers ghosted over a particularly irritated looking stitch.

"You really have no idea how to do stiches do you?"

She glared at him. "Haven't needed to do them in a while. Unlike some people, I don't usually get mixed up with insane religious cults. I'm out of practice."

He ignored her pointed statement, instead focusing on the first part. "In a while," he repeated.

"Wasn't always fast enough kid."

She had tried to brush it off, but the implication behind her words still hit him like a ton of bricks. Rationally, he knew that Selina was only as quick and clever as she was from years of experience living alone on the streets, and that she had to have started somewhere. He just never really stopped to consider how much her still being alive right now may have just been due to dumb luck when she was younger. It was an unsettling thought.

Without another word, he stood up and made his was towards the desk. Since he had started looking into his parent's murders, Alfred had taken to keeping a first aid kit in the study. In the beginning, Bruce had assumed he'd only done it as a pointed reminder of the danger that was involved in investigating his parent's deaths, but recently it had begun to serve a practical use.

Opening the desk drawer, he fished out rubbing alcohol, a cloth, and a stitching kit from the stash. His hand hovered over the bottle of oxycodone before snatching it as well. He figured Selina wasn't the type to take painkillers given the way they dulled your reflexes but he grabbed them anyway. Maybe if he was lucky he could convince her to take at least half a pill.

He made his way back over to her and sat down on the coffee table facing her. He shook two pills onto his hand and held them out to her.

"Painkillers" He answered in response to her questioning look.

He braced himself, mentally preparing for the inevitable argument, but it never came. After a brief moment of hesitation, she wordlessly took the pills from him and swallowed them. Bruce cringed. Apparently, the cut had been more painful than she had been letting on.

Taking the wash cloth, Bruce set to work gently dabbing at the blood around her cut. As the blood began to wash away he was able to get a better look at her cut. It was deeper than he had originally thought, hardly the scratch that she had played it off as.

He debated calling for Alfred but ultimately decided against it. Despite their brief truce, back at Galavan's, Bruce wasn't dense enough to believe that Selina wouldn't run at the first sign of his butler. She didn't trust easily. But she trusted him. Cared about him even if he was to believe Gordon.

He swallowed hard before grabbing the needle and setting to work redoing her stitches.

"So what part was the truth," he finally asked after a minute or two of working in silence.

"Hm." She hummed, her focus already busy switching between the sharp pierce of the needle against her skin and the warmth of his hand pressing against her waist.

"Gordon already told me you were the one who came to him." He felt her tense but his hands continued their work without wavering. "So if the best liars always tell the truth then what part was the truth," he asked, finally chancing a glance at her.

She looked surprise. Whether her reaction was at the fact that he knew she was lying or that he had called her out on it he wasn't sure. Regardless she was quick to school her features into a careful mask of indifference.

She shrugged. "Sometimes a lie is just a lie kid. Don't overthink it."

"Why do it then? Why risk your life to save me?"

"I don't know." Her voice had a defensive edge to it that Bruce smiled at. "Why does it matter?"

"Just curious."

Carefully he finished off the last stitch, but his fingers remained, lingering against the skin of her stomach. He had been too distracted before, his concern over her injuries occupying his full attention, but now, with the last stitch done, he was suddenly painfully aware of their position. One of his hands was resting against her waist from when he had been working on her stiches while the other had somehow found its way to her knee. The rough fabric of her jeans was a sharp contrast to the soft skin of her waist. The pads of his fingers brushed lightly back and forth against her skin.

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't go getting sappy on me kid. It's not like I care or anything."

"I know." He tried going for casual, but he couldn't hide the smile in his voice.

Her face heated up. "I don't."

He hummed in response.

Cautiously, he let his palm on her waist flattened against her skin, suppressing a smile when he felt her shudder beneath his touch. When he finally managed to drag his eyes up back to hers he found her staring at him with something he couldn't quite place.

Her fingers twitched at her side.  
Then she was moving, her lips pressing against his in a desperate sort of way. It was different than before.

The first time she had kissed him it had been chaste, a quick peck to sate her curiosity and that sparked his. This time, the second her lips touched his they molded against him, unwilling to let go as quickly as before. Before he could register what was happening her hand was grabbing his shirt and with one sharp tug he was falling forward. His body collided with hers as the two of them toppled back to the couch.

Immediately, he tried to shift some of his weight off, keep himself from crushing her, but she merely opened her legs wider, her knees bent against his hips, to make room for him. His face heated up at their positions, but before he could overthink it she was kissing him again.

Her lips were slow and lazy against him as she kissed, likely a side effect from the painkillers, but her hands were firm in his hair, keeping him locked in place against her. He relaxed into her.

He'd always known Selina was strong, but now, as she laid beneath him, he was surprised to find how soft and pliant she was. With one arm still supporting his weight, he brought his other hand down lightly gripping her waist. Beneath him Selina arched up, her shirt sliding up just enough for his fingers to brush against her skin.

He froze about to pull back when he heard the slightest gasp fall from her lips. He swallowed hard. Following his instincts, he took a chance, letting his hand slide further up under the hem of her shirt until his palm was flat against her stomach. She sighed pressing herself further into his touch.

Spurred on by her reaction, he slid his hand slid further up against her side, his fingers barely brushing her ribs, when he felt her hand push against his shoulder. He pulled back, worried briefly that he had gone too far, but she was quick to follow him as he sat up. His hands gripped her waist. He leaned back, awkwardly maneuvering them in the narrow confines of the couch until she was sitting on top of his lap, her legs bracketing his. He fell back against the couch.

Grinning up at her, he let his eyes take her in. Her hair was wilder that usually, sticking up in places where his hands had wandered. Further down her face was flushed, the tinting her cheeks matching the red of her lips. He smirked. She really did look properly kissed.

She didn't give him much of a chance to look though. With a quick eye roll she leaned back down but instead of going for his lips like he had expected, he was surprised when he felt her lips against the skin of his neck.

He tensed.

Cautiously her lips moved, brushing against his pulse point before traveling down lower to the slope of his neck. Then her mouth opened and all he felt was warmth. As she continued her assault on his neck gradually her lips began to press down harder, her actions surer. Her teeth nipped at his skin.

It would leave a mark.

Alfred would notice.

Her tongue pressed against his neck.

He didn't care.

She was meticulous as she mapped out every inch of exposed skin of his neck with her lips as he laid beneath her, not daring to move. Not that she had put him in much of a position to react anyway.

It was different. With Selina and him they'd always reacted to each other, part of their back and forth. She'd push him and wait for his next move. But now with her knees bracketing his legs and her hands pinning down his, he couldn't move, couldn't react. This wasn't their game this was just Selina, showing him with her action something that she couldn't with words, something he had never considered before.

He may have almost lost her tonight but she had almost lost him too.

Without giving her much warning he broke his hand free from her, tangling it back into her wild curls. Giving a slight tug he dragged her lips away from his neck, only to surge forward and capture her lips in a kiss again. Her surprised gasp was a sound he would lock away in head forever. Using the hand he still had tangled in her hair, he kept her close trying to pour everything into the kiss, proving to her that he was there, he was alright.

She smiled against his lips.

She knew. She always seemed to know.

It wasn't until the need for oxygen became necessary that he reluctantly broke their kiss and even then he couldn't resist placing a few last chaste kisses as he pulled back. His forehead came to rest against hers, both of them panting heavily. His nose dipped down to brush against cheek.

"Bruce," He placed a kiss on her cheek and she laughed, a real genuine laugh. God he wanted to hear it again. His lips traveled lower. "B," her hands moved around to his chest.

He hummed more interested in the line of her collarbone.

"We can't stay here forever," she insisted. Her eyes softened as the pads of her fingertips brushed his cheek, just below the dark circles under his eyes. "You need to sleep."

"I'm good right here," he replied easily, even as it protested against its position.

She rolled her eyes, trying to sit up, but his arm tightened around her.  
"Bruce," she warned lightly, before pushing against his chest. This time he reluctantly let her go.  
His eyes stayed shut as she shifted off him but he felt the loss of her warmth instantly. With a sigh, he propped himself up off the couch, preparing for her to slip away into the night yet again. He supposed it was an unfortunate side effect to falling for a girl like Cat. She was never one to stick around for too long.

When his eyes finally opened, he was surprise to find her hand stretched out for him.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "You coming?""

Without hesitating he took her hand, eager to follow her wherever she would lead him, a willing pawn. He'd happily chase her to the darkest edges of Gotham. Still he hadn't been expecting it when she dragged him through the halls straight to his bedroom.  
He froze as she made her way into the room.

She turned around to find him still lingering at the door's threshold. She raised her eyebrow at him, a challenge.

"What? You scared or something? She said, her tone teasing, but there was something off as she stood waiting for his answer. Her arms were wrapped around herself in a protective stance, her eyes never staying on him long. His heart sank. She was doubting herself.

He was making her doubt herself.  
Cautiously he walked over to her and gently pried her hands from around her stomach. His thumb brushed against her palm before he placed a kiss against her cheek. When he leaned back he was grinning broadly. "Never."

She rolled her eyes, but he caught the slight upturn in her lips as she turned back to the bed. Slipping under the sheets, she scooted over towards the center of to make room for him. He didn't need any other prompting. The second he had gotten comfortable she rolled over pressing herself to his side, her head resting against his chest.  
After only a second's hesitation, he placed a hand around her waist.

It was nice. Between the warmth of her body against his and the calming brush of her fingers on his chest he felt his eyes grow heavy. He could have fallen asleep easily. Could have had it not been for…

"I told Silver I loved her," he blurted out, interrupting the silence that had fallen over them. He felt her tense underneath his arm but he kept going, his grip tightening around her to keep her close. "Her uncle was going to kill her for giving me the name of my parent's killer unless she got me to fall in love with her again. I thought I was going to die. I didn't…I didn't want to be responsible for her death too."

A moment of silence passed.

"Why tell me" she finally asked attempting to sound harsh but the question came out sincere. She was drugged and tired and honestly too curious to bother.

His hand came up to brush through her hair. "It's like I told you before." He could feel his heart pounding against his chest. "The best liars always tell the truth.

She buried her face further into the crook of his neck, but he felt her lips quirk upward with a smile. "And that was the truth," she asked mimicking her words from before.

Instead of answering, he brushed a kiss against her temple.

"B."

"Yeah."

She paused. "I didn't want it."

"Hmm" His fingers continue to run through her hair.

"For you to die. I didn't want that." She clarified, a quiet confession.

His fingers stilled, the weight of her words hitting him. It wasn't much but coming from Selina…

His hand tightened on her waist, hugging her closely to his chest. Concentrating on his breathing he let himself focus on the weight of her body against his, the way her breath ghost against his neck, the brush of her hair as it tickled against his chin, and for the first time all night it finally felt like he'd gotten her back.

Also please review …. It's been a shitty week and hearing from you guys always brightens my day.


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